Umfurudzi National Park

• very likelyImpalaAcross the park. Impala now number more than 700, one of the clearest signs of the recovery. All yearsource
• likelyHippoThe pool on the Mazowe River that Hippo Pools Wilderness Camp looks out over. All yearsource
• likelyNile crocodileIn both the Mazowe and the Umfurudzi, which is why you keep away from the deep pools. All yearsource
• likelyGiraffe, zebra, kudu and warthogAlong the park's marked game drive roads. Giraffe, zebra and warthog were all part of the reintroductions. All yearsource
• possibleWaterbuck, eland and tsessebeAll three were among the more than 1,800 animals reintroduced between 2011 and 2013. All yearsource
• possibleSable antelopeA Cambridge University study in the 1980s counted more than 1,500 sable here. They are still on the park's species list, but nobody publishes current numbers. All yearsource
• possibleElephantMostly in the fenced buffalo breeding area. There were none at all before 2011, and the herd started from 13 animals brought in in 2013, so this is not Hwange. All yearsource
• possibleCape buffaloInside the fenced breeding area, where a ranger has to be with you on foot. All yearsource
• possibleAfrican finfoot and white-backed night heronThe Mazowe at Hippo Pools. The night heron is often seen from the front of the camp. All yearsource
• possibleAfrican crowned eagle and Verreaux's eagleKnown nest sites around Hippo Pools, where the raptors have been studied and the nests can be visited. All yearsource
• rareLeopardIt is on the park's species list, but we found no published sightings, and no current source lists lion here. All yearsource
• rarePel's fishing owlRiverine forest along the rivers, with black-throated wattle-eye and Livingstone's flycatcher in the same habitat. All yearsource

Likelihood is for a normal visit of two or three days, from the sources linked. Nothing is guaranteed in the wild.

Malaria

UK travel health advice rates Zimbabwe below 1,200 m as high risk from November to June, with atovaquone and proguanil, doxycycline or mefloquine recommended, and low risk from July to October. Harare itself is very low risk, so do not judge Umfurudzi by the capital. Ask your travel clinic which band the park falls in before you go. In the dry months cover up from dusk and use repellent, and if the trip carries on to the Zambezi valley, that is malaria country all year. source

Walking and the buffalo area

You may walk anywhere outside the fenced buffalo breeding area. Inside it a park ranger has to go with you, because that is where the buffalo and elephant are. source

Swimming in the rivers

Swimming in the rivers is allowed, but there are crocodiles, so stay out of the deep pools. The Mazowe, which runs along about 82 km of the park's boundary, is heavily mined, commercially and by panners, and is described as heavily polluted with heavy metals. Our advice: keep it to a quick dip in the Umfurudzi, or skip it. source

Old mine workings

Black storks sometimes nest at Amm's Mine on the way in, and it is worth stopping to look, but it is a derelict mine with a deep pit, so keep well back from the edge. Elsewhere, gold and black granite are still mined in the north of the park and illegal panners work the rivers. source

The road from Harare

Near Shamva the A13 turns into a mix of narrow and double tar with steep drop-offs at the edges, and some minibus taxis will not move off the narrow tar for you. Inside the park it is 8 km of good gravel from the gate to the office: high clearance will do in the dry season, but you need a 4x4 in the rains, November to April. source

Driving after dark and fuel

The UK government advises against driving outside the main towns at night: vehicles without lights, cyclists and stray livestock on the road. Be careful at petrol stations after dark, and fuel can run short, so top up whenever you can. Time the drive back to Harare for daylight, and stop at every police roadblock and toll gate with copies of your passport photo page and visa in the car. source

• Buy the Park Map and General Guide at the main gate. The park covers 76,000 hectares and the marked walking trails and game drive roads are much easier to follow with it in hand. one source
• Almost everyone sticks to the southern third of the park. If you want the place to yourself, and a better chance at the miombo birds nobody has confirmed yet, push north with a good map. official
• Come for the walking, the rock art and the birds, not a Big Five tick list. There are San rock art sites, Iron Age dry-stone walling and potholes worn into the granite by the river, and seasoned hikers can arrange to climb Mt Chisinga and Svisamoyo. The game is still a population being rebuilt after the park was emptied. one source
• Fishing in the rivers is catch and release. From the dams you may keep up to five fish a day. The Mazowe and Umfurudzi hold tigerfish, bream, vundu and chessa. one source
• The campsites without tents are on the lawns near the park office, with ablutions, picnic benches and braai places. Wilderness camping on multi-day walks is possible by request at the park office, and those sites have no facilities at all. one source

Checked 19 October 2026. Conditions change, so confirm with the park or venue before you go.